


Of Secrets & Feathers

by pherryt, Winchester_destiel



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Case Fic, Destiel - Freeform, Destiel Fanfic, Enemies to Lovers, Multi, PPB, PPB20, Wingfic, canon AU, hunter!dean, punk!Cas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:48:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23971825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pherryt/pseuds/pherryt, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Winchester_destiel/pseuds/Winchester_destiel
Summary: Dean Winchester’s life was simple; hunting monsters, driving around with his brother in his Baby, and an occasional one-night stand. But when Bobby tells them about a new case where they have to work with someone else, his whole world changes.Castiel Novak not only has blue-tipped hair and several piercings, but he is also rude and sarcastic. The fact that he looks super hot is irrelevant. But the other hunter does seem like he is hiding something. Is his secret going to ruin the hunt? Will they lay their differences aside as to succeed?
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Comments: 21
Kudos: 73
Collections: Perfect Pair Bang 2020 (Official)





	1. The meeting

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys,  
> so this is my fic for the Perfect Pair Bang 2020. I am very happy to be finally able to show you the finished product together with the amazing artist pherryt on ao3. ([pherryt](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pherryt))  
> Click this link for the art masterpost [Art for Of Feathers and Secrets](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23969578)  
> Here is her Tumblr [dragonpressgraphics](https://dragonpressgraphics.tumblr.com/)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castiel Novak and Dean Winchester meet for the first time and they aren't quite fond of each other...

  


Dean had just finished cleaning off the rest of the bodies. It had been an easy vampire hunt, nothing special. He dumped the head of their leader into the well next to the house the nest had been hiding in. He was exhausted but that was nothing new in his life. Dean walked over to the Impala, where Sam was packing away their weapons. 

“Hey, everything done?” Sam asked as he shut the trunk. 

Dean nodded back and then entered his Baby, turning the engine on and waiting for his brother. They had only been driving for a few miles when his phone rang. He frowned as he pulled it out of his pocket before answering. 

“Yea?” he asked.

“Is that the way to greet me, boy?” Bobby’s voice said on the other end. 

Dean sighed. “No, I’m sorry Bobby. So what’s up?” 

“Come here and I’ll tell you. I got a new case for you two,” Bobby told him before hanging up. Dean threw his phone into the glove compartment. Sam looked up from his tablet concerned. 

“What’s up?” he asked.

“Change of plans; Bobby wants us to come over to his place. He says he’s got a case for us.”

“Great! What’s it about?” Sam asked, excitement filling his eyes. Dean just shrugged.

“Don’t know. He said he would tell us once we get there.” 

Sam nodded before looking back at his tablet. Dean looked at the bright red digits of the clock and saw that it was already 4:30 am, meaning they would be at Bobby’s at around 8 am. He was really not in a good mood and just wanted to shower and take a nap. He hated it when Bobby was all mysterious and closed off but then again, this had to be pretty important if he wasn’t willing to tell them what was going on over the phone, so Dean swallowed down his anger and focused back on the road again.

***

When the two boys finally arrived at Bobby’s house, Dean was _exhausted_. He was tired and he still just wanted that shower and something to eat. He woke up Sammy who had fallen asleep on the passenger's seat and the two of them walked up to the front door. Bobby opened it, his old baseball cap sitting on his head as always. He let them in after hugging each one, growling something that sounded like _idjits_ after Dean had complained about his tiredness. 

“So Bobby, what’s up?” Sam asked, sitting down in front of Bobby’s desk in the living room. 

“I have a case for you two,” he started, looking at each of them before speaking again, ”I haven’t dealt with a lot of those things, especially in the last few years, but they’re killing innocent people.” 

Dean took a sip from his black coffee, happy about the warm liquid. 

“What kind of things?” he asked. He knew something was fishy about this, he just couldn’t tell what it was yet. 

“Demons,” Bobby said after a few more seconds of silence. Dean’s eyes widened, as he pushed down the urge to choke on his coffee.

“Demons?” he asked, baffled, “I’m sorry but this is above our paygrade,” he said, shooting Sammy a panicked look, who just shrugged.

“Don’t be a wuss,” Bobby grumbled. 

Dean was about to say something else when the doorbell rang. He shot a questioning look towards Bobby who just stood up from his chair, making his way towards the door. 

“And you’ll be working with another hunter,” Bobby shot over his shoulder as he answered the door.

“What do you mean-” Dean didn’t get finish his sentence because the front door was opened and he heard a deep, gravelly voice greeting Bobby. 

The two men talked for a few moments before Dean heard footsteps and Bobby entered the room, closely followed by another man. Dean forgot all about his initial complaints when he saw the appearance of the strange hunter; he was wearing ripped, black jeans with a plain shirt and on top of it he was wearing a black leather jacket that had multiple pins and patches decorating it. Dean could also see multiple piercings on the other man’s face. His hair was a mess of black with vibrant, bright blue tips.  
But what caught Dean’s attention the most where the piercing blue eyes, staring directly at him. 

“This is Castiel Novak,” Bobby announced, pulling Dean back into reality. 

Dean almost growled at himself. _Since when was he so poetic about someone else, especially a man?_

“Hello,” the stranger greeted with a polite smile, his voice deep and raspy, extending his hand first to Sam and then to Dean. It was silent again until Castiel cleared his throat. “So why did you call me Bobby?” 

“There were a few killings in Iowa, probably demons and I want you to look at the scene since you know so much about them and the boys will help you as well,” he gestured towards the Winchesters who just nodded. 

“Bobby, can I talk to you? Alone?” Dean asked, already walking towards the kitchen. When they were out of earshot Dean turned towards the older man. 

“What the hell, Bobby? You know we don’t work with others and especially not with punks,” he exclaimed, anger rising inside of him. 

“The hell you don’t. You’ve worked with your fair share of people over the years and just because you don’t like how he looks doesn’t mean he can’t help you. So suck it up, because you _will_ need him,” Bobby snapped. 

“What’s going on?” Sam asked, walking into the room. He looked a bit confused. Dean fixed him with an angry stare but stayed silent. 

“Your brother over here isn’t exactly thrilled to work with someone else.” 

Sam frowned at his brother. “Bobby’s right, Dean. We need him. Especially if he’s an expert on demons.”

“Fine,” Dean mumbled, anger still clearly visible on his features. The three men walked back into the living room where Castiel was still standing, annoyance all over his face, arms crossed over his chest. 

“So?” Castiel asked, raising an eyebrow. Dean was about to comment about him being rude but Bobby was faster. 

“Well, the three of you should get going asap. The faster you get there the better,” Bobby announced. Looking at Dean, he added, “Will this be a problem?” 

“Not if he drops the attitude.” 

Cas let out a sarcastic laugh at that. “Look who’s talking. You are the one who has been pissed since you saw me. I have been polite the whole time.” 

“Shut up, both of you. You’ll work together and that’s the end of it,” Bobby said his voice final. 

Dean stared first at Castiel and then at Sam but dropped it. “Fine, but I’d like to shower first and eat something,” he declared, making his way towards the bathroom.


	2. Angels and demons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The guys have a look around the most recent murder scene...

The three men were sitting in the Impala, Sam obviously shotgun and Castiel in the back, looking bored out the window. He hadn’t really said much after Dean came back from the shower and to be honest, Dean didn't mind. He really didn’t like this guy. He was a stranger to him and it felt like he was constantly being watched. After some time on the road, and being watched through the review mirror for the fast few miles, Dean finally spoke up.

“Could you stop staring at me through the mirror?” he asked annoyed. Castiel was startled, probably not even realizing that he had been looking at Dean for like fifteen minutes straight.

“Sorry,” he grumbled and turned back towards the window, playing absentmindedly with his lip piercing. 

“What’s the whole deal with the demons anyway?” Dean asked, not taking this intense silence any longer. Castiel cleared his throat before speaking, trying not to look into the mirror. 

“Well...since I guess you already know, demons can’t be killed. At least not as far as I know. You can exorcise them but that only expels them from the body they are currently possessing or sends them back to hell. Holy water doesn’t do anything either, at least nothing to kill them and-”

“We know all that,” Dean cut Castiel off, who glared at him but ignored his rude comment. He was about to continue when Sam spoke up. 

“So get this, according to the lore, there is one thing that _can_ kill them; it’s the blade of an angel,” he explained. Dean saw Cas stiffen a little but didn’t pay too much attention to it. 

“Angels? Really?” he asked questioningly. Sam just nodded. “Aren’t they just dudes with wings and harps?”

“Apparently not,” the younger Winchester said. 

“You ever heard of those things back there?” Dean asked, glancing briefly towards Castiel. 

“Yes, I have, though nobody who has seen an angel is still alive. Let alone would be in the possession of such a thing,” the blue-eyed man said. He seemed pretty sure of what he was saying which was weird to Dean but he just focused back on the road. _He had to admit that Castiel’s voice was really deep and send shivers down his spine. He thought how that voice would sound moaning out...what the hell?_ He asked himself. _What was going on in his brain?_ He shook his head in an attempt to ban all of those thoughts away. 

“What do you mean, aren’t alive?” Sam asked and Dean was thankful that at least one of them was able to concentrate. 

“Well if someone encounters an angel in their true form, their eyes get burned out,” he informed them.

“How do they appear to humans then?” Dean asked, trying to sound as annoyed as possible. Cas rolled his eyes, gritting his teeth a little. His eyes were filled with anger and Dean couldn’t suppress a little smirk at how easy it was for him to get the other man so irritated. 

“They possess humans-”

“So like a demon?” Sam asked. 

“No. Angels need permission before they can enter a vessel. They are, after all, designed by God.” It was silent again in the small compartment of the car, both brothers processing this new information.

***

They checked into the nearest motel, Sam and Dean sharing a room and Cas taking the one next to them since the motel didn’t have a room with three beds. They left their stuff there and then made their way to the crime scene. 

When they rode up there, the police weren’t there nor was there any kind of yellow tape outside the door, claiming it as a _‘murder scene’_.Sam walked up to the front porch but before Castiel could follow, Dean grabbed his arm, holding him back. 

“Listen to me, if you pull some kind of crap, you are dead before you pull out your gun,” he growled, fixing Castiel with a glare. Castiel lifted his eyes from where they had been resting on Dean’s hand and a shiver went through him when those blue eyes landed on him. _That raised eyebrow, damn it looked good and it did things to Dean- no, not doing that._

“Trust me, I wouldn’t do that. If you forgot this is my case too and I’m not stupid enough to sabotage my own success,” he grumbled before yanking his arm free and walking towards Sam, who was looking strangely at them.

Inside the house, the three of them walked first into the living room, one of the victims lying on the floor. His throat was cut and he had a cracked skull, blood pooling on the carpet from where he landed on the floor. Dean crouched down, looking at the body sceptically. Castiel did the same and extended his hand, wanting to touch the body. 

“Hey, hey, be careful!” he barked. 

“I know what I am doing,” he hissed back, his hand touching the ground right next to the body, wiping a yellow powder onto his finger and sniffing it.

“Sulfur,” he said, more to himself than to the Winchesters. Even though Dean didn’t know a lot about demons, he knew that they left behind sulfur. 

“Great, so it’s a demon, Let’s go then, we got everything,” he said, standing up quickly. He couldn’t stand being next to this jerk anymore. 

“Wait,” Castiel said in his deep voice, “this isn’t just any demon.” He stood up as well, though walked over to one of the statues in the house, a red liquid running down the eyes of the woman praying. 

“What is this?” Sam asked curious, as he walked over to Castiel. He studied the statue for a few more seconds before facing the two of them again. 

“I haven't seen anything like this since...but this isn’t possible...it can’t be,” he mumbled, oblivious to the others.

“What can’t be?” Castiel shot him an angry glare, his eyes were dark with fury.

“I know who did this. He is a really old demon, the second-ever created; Alastair.” Dean had no idea how to respond to that so he just walked out of the house and back to his car. 

The ride to the motel was silent, neither of them speaking, all lost in their thoughts. The few times Dean glanced back at Castiel, he saw the dark-haired man play with his lip piercing, letting his tongue run over the metal ring. _Dean had to admit that it looked pretty good. The way that tongue ran over it as Cas was deep in thought, the sliver a stark contrast to those soft, pink lips...Dean really needed to get a grip on himself. He wasn’t into dudes. He had always checked out girls. Always. So what was going on with him? Why was he like this?_

Castiel left the brothers alone, wanting to take a shower and then sleep for a bit. At least that’s what he told them anyway. Dean turned towards his younger brother. 

“What the hell?” He asked. Sam looked at him with a raised eyebrow. 

“What?” 

“You know what. That punk-ass pin cushion over there. He thinks he’s better than everyone,” Dean told him pacing up and down the room. Sam was about to say something when there was a knock on the door. 

“Come in,” Dean growled. The door opened and Castiel stepped inside. At the sight of him, Dean’s eyes widened and his mouth went dry; he was standing there completely naked, a towel around his waist. His body was well defined, though tattoos littered the skin, all in deep-black ink. He stood there looking a bit shy but Dean could have imagined it because when he spoke his voice was as serious and cocky as it always was. 

“I forgot my shower gel and wanted to ask if one of you has one I could borrow.” Dean swallowed trying to get his throat wet again. He just stared at Cas for a few seconds before he raised his eyebrows, seeing that Cas was looking at him, a smirk on his lips. 

“Like what you see?” He asked and Dean blushed furiously as he looked away. 

“Wha...what? I uh...do you want that shower gel or what?” He asked. Cas just nodded and then Dean turned around searching in his bag until he found the bottle and tossed it to Cas. 

“Thanks,” he said and turned away leaving the room. Dean only got a glimpse of a pair of wings on his back but Cas was gone before he could have a better look at it. 

“What was that?” Sam asked clearly amused. Dean just shot him a glare. 

“Shut up,” Sam just chuckled and turned away, continuing to do whatever he had been doing.

  



	3. Feathers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys find a few things and Sam and Dean start to get suspicious...

It had been a few days and the brothers and Cas had to spend the days talking with the local police officers and digging into the lore. It was one of those days when Sam said,

“So get this. I dug up a few old museum records and apparently, one of those museums is supposed to be in the possession of one of these angel blades.” Dean looked up, surprised. 

“Really?” he asked, looking over at Castiel who was as surprised as he was. 

“Yes, it’s in an old church museum only an hour from here. Look,” Sam said, turning his laptop so that the other two could have a better look at it. 

“This can’t be possible,” Cas mumbled, worrying his lip between his teeth.

“And why not?”

“Because the last time an angel died on earth, it was over seventy years ago, and the last time an angle died in battle was even more years ago,” Cas pondered. He seemed to know a lot about angels and like, way too much for an ordinary hunter. Dean wanted to say something but Sam beat him to it. 

“Wait..there was an outburst of enormous energy only a few months ago in a field. It was so much that all the nearby trees fell away from the source. Maybe an angel came to earth for some reason. Could this be an angel?” Sam asked, turning the screen towards Cas. He studied it a bit and Dean saw his muscles tighten a bit. 

“Are you okay pal?” Dean asked, sounding more concerned than he wanted to. Cas didn’t respond, lost in thought. Dean sighed annoyed and waved a hand in front of his face. 

“Hey Cas, you alright buddy?”

“What?” Cas asked, getting out of his trance-like state. 

“Sam asked if this could be angel,” he said, gesturing towards the article. 

“Yes it could,” Cas answered, a still bit lost. 

“We should drive out there and check it out before we go look at that museum, what do you say?”

“You two go. I’ll go to the museum and look for that angel blade,” he said. Dean knew it was an excuse the moment he heard it. 

“Bullshit,” Dean exclaimed. Cas fixed him with an angry stare.

“It’s not. This way we will have done two jobs at once. Only because you don’t trust me, it doesn’t mean that I can’t do stuff. As I said, the faster we can kill this thing, the faster we will be away from each other.” A minor sting of pain rushed through Dean at the thought of parting ways with Cas again. _Wait, what? Since when was he thinking like that? He wanted this ass to be gone. He didn’t want his well-defined body to stay here any more than he needed to..._ Dean shook his head, trying to get those thoughts out of his head. He didn’t like Cas, then why was he thinking that?

They decided to split up, Cas looking for that blade and Sam and Dean driving to the sighting. Dean drove them to the field an hour out of town, pissed and annoyed the whole time. He didn’t trust this Castiel guy at all but he kept his mouth shut because he didn’t want to start a scene. He would suck it up and do his job. 

They arrived about an hour later. The drive had been silent, Dean just blasting his music while Sam did some more research or whatever. Dean didn’t really care. He was just pissed and he hoped that they would find something and that they didn’t drive there for no reason, but then again, he loved driving Baby because in most cases it calmed him down, even if it was just a bit. 

Dean parked the Impala at the edge of the forest and then he and Sam took a few weapons, mostly their guns and a knife each and made their way to the clearing. Sam was silent but he was glancing at Dean every few seconds. 

“What is it Sam?” he asked annoyed. Sam momentarily froze, probably hoping that he hadn’t been that obvious. 

“Nothing,” he said but Dean knew he was lying. 

“Sam?” he asked raising an eyebrow, “don’t bullshit me.” 

“Just...give him a chance...maybe he finds something…” he said hesitantly, running a hand through his long hair. He needed a haircut Dean thought. Dean gritted his teeth, trying to stay calm.

“I am giving him a chance. I let him go off alone, I think that’s proof enough that I trust him, don’t you think?” he snapped angrily. So much for staying calm. 

“Okay fine, be pissed as much as you want but we do need him.” Dean didn’t answer that and instead continued walking, stomping on branches and leaves, crushing them under his boots. 

When they finally arrived at the clearing Dean all but froze; the grass in the middle was burnt so much that it was completely flat and yellow. All the trees that were around it had fallen away from it, the trunks of the trees burnt at the bottom. 

“Holy shit,” Dean breathed out as he stared around it walking more into the middle. Whatever did this must have had a lot of power. Sam stepped closer, taking everything in. 

“Whatever came here was very strong. Do you think it wanted to come here or was it forced to?” 

“Don’t know but I guess if whatever this is _wanted_ to come here, it would have been more careful. Anyway, let’s check and see if we can find something.” They walked through the giant circle searching for anything that could help them. Dean was about to turn around when something dark caught his attention; turning around fully he spotted a big, black feather with a bright blue tip 

“Hey Sammy look at this,” he called, handing his brother the feather. Sam examined it, his eyes looking at it suspiciously. 

“Hmm...I have never seen anything like this. We should take it with us and ask Castiel about it.” 

“Yeah, whatever,” Dean grumbled before taking the feather back and making his way to the Impala. 

***

Back at the motel Dean flopped down on the soft bed, groaning annoyed. Well, that didn’t really get them any closer to anything. Sam was currently researching about the feather they found. Cas wasn’t back yet and Dean didn’t like that. _What if he betrayed them and left with whatever he found?_ That made Dean take his phone and dial Castiel's number. He was about to call when there was a knock on the door. 

“Come in.” Cas entered the room, looking...exhausted. He walked up to them before sitting down on the chair.

“Hey Cas, you okay?” Dean asked. Cas looked at him, annoyance in his eyes.

“Don’t ask stupid questions,” he barked, averting his eyes and letting out a sigh. Sam looked up from his research, a questioning look on his face.

“What happened? Did you find the blade?” 

“No, it was gone when I got there. They said someone stole it last night. Did you find anything?” Without waiting for Sam to answer, Dean stood up and walked over to his bag, taking out the feather and handing it to Cas. “You know anything about this?” 

Cas took it and let his fingers run over it carefully, a look of sadness and nostalgia on his face. Cas was quiet for a bit before he said. 

“No, I don’t. I have never seen anything like it.” 

Dean knew bullshit when he saw it and Cas was clearly lying, and he didn’t hesitate to call him on it. 

“Liar,” Dean said, narrowing his eyes on Cas.

“No, I am not. I told you I have never seen this before.” Cas said, his voice starting to get angry. Dean couldn’t believe this guy was still not telling the truth but from the looks of it, he wouldn’t say anything.

“Anyway, Sam and I will research it and find out to whatever monster it belongs.” He smirked, hoping that this would make Castiel talk but he kept up his poker face, 

“Yeah, you two do that, I’m gonna take a shower. Need anything else?” Cas asked casually. 

Sam looked between them before clearing his throat. “No, I don’t think so, thank you Castiel.” 

_Always the nice one_ Dean thought. Sammy always tried to be nice to everybody which you obviously couldn’t say for Dean. It was silent for a few moments, Cas and Dean looking intensely at each other and Dean had to admit that Castiel’s eyes looked beautiful... _no they didn’t! Stupid brain!_

“I’m gonna go now…” Cas said after a bit and turned around walking out of the room and back to his. Dean looked at the closed door for a few seconds before turning back around to his brother.

“Well that was weird, don’t you think?” 

Sam looked up from his laptop, a frown on his face. “Dean, are you going to start accusing him again?”

“Oh come on, don’t tell me he didn’t react fishy when I showed him the feather. He looked as if he knew all about it, knew which monster it belonged to. He is hiding something, I’m telling you, Sammy.” Dean sat down across from his brother, a frown on his face. 

“I guess you’re right. He did act suspicious. But what are we going to do? I don’t think he’ll talk. At least not willingly.” 

Dean thought about that for a moment before standing up and walking towards the door.

“Where are you going?”

“I’ll pay Mr Novak's room a visit,” he smirked before disappearing into the hallway. When he arrived in front of Castiel’s room, he put his ear on the door. Luckily the doors and walls were pretty much paper-thin, making it easy for Dean to hear the shower being turned on. He quietly opened the door and tiptoed into the room, looking around the small place. It had the same furniture Dean's room had but it was cleaner than his, books on a neat pile on the table, the bed made. 

He walked further into the room and started looking for anything unusual. He approached a bag that was placed on the bed. When he peered inside, he froze.


	4. Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam, Cas and Dean meet Alastair and they find out what had Cas been hiding from them...

Inside the bag was the angel blade. The one they had been looking for. The one Cas said wasn’t there. _That fucker_ Dean thought as he quickly made his way back to his room. Sam looked up and saw the anger in his brother’s eyes. 

“What happened?” Dean paced the room as he spoke. 

“Well our lovely Castiel lied to us.” Sam stood up and approached him just a bit. 

“What do you mean? What did he do?” Dean stopped eyes filled with anger. 

“He got that angel blade. It’s in his damn bag. That son of a…” Dean trailed off, “I’m going to kill him,” he growled. Sam put his hand on Dean’s shoulder. 

“Dean…relax. I don’t think confrontation is the best idea right now. He must have had a reason for not telling us.” 

“And what reason would that be? Huh?” 

Sam shrugged. “I don’t know…” Dean shrugged out of his brothers grasp and walked to the table, taking the keys to Baby. 

“I’m gonna go take Baby out for a drive. I need some fresh air.” Dean announced before leaving the room, slamming the door shut. _Fuck_ he was angry. Like really angry. That ass had lied to them, had _betrayed_ them. Dean started the engine and just drove, gripping the steering wheel so tight that his knuckles turned white. He had no idea how long he had been on the road when his phone rang, his real one. _Heat of the moment_ started blasting and he knew it was Sammy. He didn’t answer though. He would be back soon enough anyway, then they could talk. But his phone started ringing again. 

“Damnit, Sammy!” He growled as he rummaged through the glove compartment to get his phone. 

“What?” He snapped. 

“Dean, we found the demon. He’s about half an hour away in an abandoned warehouse.” 

“Shit. Okay, I'm on my way, stay at the motel. _Don’t_ leave without me, understood?” Dean asked seriously. Dean could practically hear the eye roll in his brother’s sigh. “Fine.” 

***

About half an hour later they were on their way to that warehouse, Sam sitting shotgun and Castiel in the back. Dean was still pissed at Cas but he tried to push those thoughts away, for now. They could argue later. 

“So how did you find out that he’s there?” Dean asked at some point. 

“Well...we got a call from Bobby who told us that about ten minutes before I called you there was a wave of supernatural energy at that place. Apparently, some local law-enforcement told him,” Sam informed him. Dean looked at his brother before he asked, mostly to see Castiel’s reaction.

“And how the hell are we supposed to kill that thing if we don’t have the angel blade?” He looked at Cas through the rearview mirror, who was playing with his lip ring. He didn’t even flinch when Dean asked that, his poker face better than expected. He just shrugged.

“I don’t know but we could try to exorcise him,” he suggested in that deep voice of his, that almost made Dean shudder. _No. he’s a lying asshat. No matter how attractive he might be...what the hell?_ Dean’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. 

“If he is as strong as you say he is, I don’t think exorcism is going to work on him,” Dean snapped. He could see Cas getting irritated with him but to be honest, he didn’t care. He wasn’t the one who had lied to them. 

“You’re right. But what are we supposed to do then? I don’t think it would be a good idea to turn back, I mean we are almost there anyway.” Sam shot Dean a glare. 

He knew that Sammy was just trying to keep him calm, to distract him and it would have worked if he hadn’t looked into the mirror and saw Cas. That secret-keeping jerk in the back of his Baby. Dean just focused on the road again, deciding that there was no use in starting an argument now.

When they arrived at their destination, they parked a bit further away before Dean shut off the engine and exited the car. God, he needed to get out of that small space. He heard the other two doors squeak open as he walked to the trunk, opening the secret compartment in Baby. 

“So...any ideas?” he asked with a raised eyebrow. Sam walked up next to him, looking at all their weapons.

“We could try and lure him into a devil's trap…” Sam thought. Dean huffed at that.

“Yeah, sure. He’s already inside there Sammy. How are we supposed to do that, huh?” he snapped before turning to Castiel, “You got any ideas?” Cas shook his head, averting his eyes. Dean took a step closer to him, crossing his arms over his chest.

“You sure? I thought you were an expert on this. Or did you lie?” Cas was pissed now, eyes glaring at Dean.

“I **am** an expert. The only thing that could have helped is that angel blade that wasn’t there. Other than that, with a high ranking demon, I don’t know. I haven’t really dealt with many, to be honest.” 

Sam put his hand on Dean’s arm, pulling him back a bit.

“Hey! Don’t argue now. It won’t help. What do you say we go scoop out the place a bit?” he suggested. Dean sighed, relaxing a bit. 

“Okay fine. But I’m not leaving _him_ alone,” he pointed at Cas, “don’t you _dare_ fuck this up or you’re dead,” he warned the other hunter. Cas gritted his teeth before replying sarcastically.

“I won’t. Don’t want to die from Dean Winchester’s bullets.”

***

Dean had no idea how this happened but they were scoping out the place when that dick appeared out of nowhere and pinned all three of them to the wall; Sam and Dean against one, and Castiel against the opposite one. He was walking towards Cas, a smirk on his lips.

“And so we meet again, Castiel,” he sneered. Cas was glaring at him, anger clearly visible in his eyes. 

“Alastair...I thought you had learned your lesson after last time.” Cas spat back. _After last time? What did he mean?_

“Oh you mean after you and your little friends cast me back to hell? As you can see, I am back and stronger than ever.” 

“Hey, asshat, what the hell do you mean by _last time_?” Dean barked. The demon turned towards him, pressing him a bit more against the wall.

“Don’t you _dare_ , speak to me like that, you filthy little pest,” he warned before a flash of understanding rushed over his face and he looked over to Castiel, “You didn’t tell them, did you Castiel?” he asked triumphantly. Cas gritted his teeth, trying to get free. He smiled wickedly before saying to Dean and Sam.

“Your little friend over here is not who he says he is,” he began.

“Yes, you’re right. He’s a dick.”

“Dean!” Sam warned. The demon wheezed at that.

“Maybe that too but he isn’t human, at least not fully. He has lost a lot of his grace, I can feel it, but he’s still an angel.”

Dean’s eyes widened as he looked at Cas with shock. _An angel? What? This was_ **_not_** _what he expected. But then again, it did make sense if he thought about it; he knew a lot about demons, and angels, he took that angel blade…that dick!_ Dean thought, _has been lying from the start_.

“He’s a what now?” Sam asked baffled. 

“An angel Samuel, a warrior of God.” Alastair told them, “and he has that angel blade with him that could kill me,” he added before there was a loud clink and when Dean looked at the source of the sound, he saw a silver dagger on the ground, right next to Cas. Alastair pulled Cas back from the wall and then slammed him against it, this time face first so that his back was exposed. 

“Get the hell away from him,” Dean growled. 

“Awww how cute. You’re trying to protect him even though he lied to you...” He walked up to Cas after picking up the angel blade and tore the fabric of Castiel’s white button-up open, exposing a giant pair of tattooed wings. Cas struggled to get free. 

“Get the hell away from me, you ass,” he hissed, turning his head as much as he could to glare at him. 

Dean wanted to say something, do something but then Alastair pressed the blade against the feathers on his skin, and a white-blue glow escaped as he cut the skin. Cas growled in pain but tried to keep quiet. 

“Get the fuck away from him, you son of a bitch!” Dean tried to get free but he couldn't, that jerk was too strong. Sam tried the same but to no avail.

Alastair had a sick smile on his lips as he did it again, getting closer to the centre, where they connected with each other. 

When he reached that point, he stopped briefly, looking at the two brothers.

“Do you still believe he’s human?” When neither of them said anything, he smirked wider, “That’s what I thought.” He turned back and let the tip of the weapon slowly drag over that spot. Cas cried out in pain, a horrible scream that filled the room. Cas’s back was a mess, blood running down, ruining the white fabric of his shirt, or at least what was left of it. There were deep gashes where the tattoo was. It looked horrible and Dean wanted nothing more than to kill Alastair right now for hurting Cas. 

Before anyone of them could do anything, he turned him back around and stabbed him in the stomach, another terrible sound filling the air. Cas was starting to lose blood and Dean could see him getting weaker and weaker with time passing. 

Alastair dropped the blade before he walked over to them, stopping in front of Sam. 

“Look at you, so concerned about him. I mean not as much as your brother but still…” He reached out and took Sam’s face between his fingers, forcing him to look at the monster. Dean growled deep in his chest.

“Don’t you _dare_ touch him,” he said. The demon turned to him now, reaching out and letting one of his long fingernails run over Dean’s cheekbones, cutting his skin a bit before licking that finger. 

“Hmm, taste good.” Suddenly his mouth opened and black smoke escaped his vessel before it fell to the ground. Behind it was Cas, somewhat dazed but angry with his angel blade in hand. With Alastair gone, the invisible bonds disappeared and Dean and Sam slumped to the ground, Dean’s eyes looking at Cas. When Cas noticed that the demon was gone, his eyes widened a bit before he just...disappeared.

“Cas?” Dean asked but he was already gone.


	5. Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam and Dean try to find Cas...

Cas zapped into a small motel room and flopped down on the bed. He pulled his already shredded shirt off before he let his wings unfold, his tattoo melting away into his actual, black and blue wings. He winced when he saw them, littered with cuts and holes. He would take care of that in a bit but first, he had to take care of his vessel and make sure that he wouldn’t die. Since his grace was almost completely exhausted he couldn’t heal himself. He had seen the way Sam and Dean took care of their wounds though, as well as other hunters in the past. He could do that. He searched for the first aid kit before he took out the needle and some thread and started to sew the wound on his stomach. 

It didn’t look great but it should work for now. He patched himself up and then put some bandages over it before he tried to take care of his wings. It didn’t work though, and he just sat there, looking at them, his whole body aching with how damaged his wings were. Especially at the spot where they connected with his back. He tried to heal them but that didn’t work at all.

Something started to creep inside of him but he couldn’t identify it at first. All those human emotions were something new, something he didn’t quite understand. He felt bad for lying to them, bad for pretending, and horrible for just leaving them but he’d panicked...what was he _supposed_ to do? He would just stay away from them and hunt that demon down by himself. 

***

They were back at the motel and Dean was even more confused than before. _Why did Cas lie to them? Why did he hide the blade?_ And the most important question; _why did he leave?_ He paced the room, completely lost in thought when Sam spoke up.

“Why would he leave?” Sam echoed his thoughts, again sitting at the small table in the room, looking at Dean with just the slightest bit of concern. Dean stopped and shot him a glare.

“How the hell am I supposed to know? I am as confused as you!” 

“Calm down, Dean. I wasn’t blaming you. But how are we supposed to find him?” 

Dean thought about it and remembered that he had an anti-tracking tattoo on his lower abdomen. _Not that he had been staring..._ he had read about it while he did research and then he noticed it. He thought it was weird but hadn’t given it much thought; _well, it made sense now, didn’t it?_ He was so pissed and also kind of hurt; Cas did betray them in some way. 

He suddenly got an idea and turned to Sam.

“Hey, look if you can find anything about bursts of power in the last few hours or if someone has checked into a motel, near that barn. He didn’t seem very strong back then. Maybe he just zapped somewhere without thinking about it.” Dean said as he sat down opposite to Sam and started reading in their usual books about sigils if there was another way to trace angels. Huh, angels didn’t even think those things existed until today. 

They spend the next few hours searching for motel rooms and spells but in the end, they didn’t find anything. Dean let out a frustrated huff as he closed the book.

“Damnit! Nothing. You got anything?” He asked hoping that maybe he’d found something. Sam shook his head.

“No, nothing. He either didn’t go to a motel, or he didn’t check-in and just zapped into a room, hoping it would be empty and-” Sam cut himself off as something popped up on his screen. He focused on it, typing wildly on the keyboard as he was muttering under his breath. ‘Come on, come on.’ Dean just watched his brother, not interrupting. 

“Yes, got you.” Sam smiled triumphantly at the screen.

“What?” Dean asked, confused. Sam grinned at him.

“I think I got him. At least I got an idea where he could be hiding. There was some kind of electric malfunction in a five-mile radius from the barn, probably when he zapped away, and another one about fifteen miles away, same radius. So...we just have to check out the places in that area, and then hopefully we’ve got him.” 

Dean smiled at his brother, kind of proudly. “Awesome.” 

Sam smiled back. “But...tomorrow. We’re both dead tired and if we go out now, it won’t help us. So let’s sleep and then we will go out tomorrow and find him.” 

Dean nodded and they got ready for bed. It was already 2 am but it’s not as if they weren’t used to sleeping only a few hours. The next morning they quickly got ready and left, determined to find the angel. 

The search took longer than anticipated, especially with traffic and all the other things they hadn’t taken into account, like eating or people not being very cooperative. They were at the last motel for the day, the sky already getting dark outside. Sam had decided to stay in the car and do some more research while Dean did the asking. 

“Has anybody checked in, yesterday, about yea high, blue eyes, black hair, sensible shoes?” Dean asked, already exhausted. The desk clerk thought about his description for a bit.

“Maybe...but maybe I’m wrong. I bet there would be something to freshen up my memory…” He said, Dean, already knew that he wanted money. Though Dean was really not in the mood to play. He looked around before he drew his jacket back, revealing the white gun in his holster. 

The man’s eyes widened as he stepped back a bit.   
  
“I think this should help your memory, don’t you think?” Dean asked seriously, looking angry. The guy just nodded, gulping.

“Yes...uhm...he checked in yesterday night...looked kinda roughed up...said his name is...James Novak...gave him room 67.” Dean smiled at him.

“Wasn’t that hard now, was it?” He asked innocently, making his way out of the lobby and towards Baby, knocking on the window. Sam looked up, rolling the window down.

“And?” He asked expectantly.

“Got him. You stay here. Don’t want to spook him again if we both go in. Let’s hope he won’t be a dick.” Dean said and turned around. 

“Dean? Be careful.” Sam said with a serious expression. Dean turned his head and nodded.

“I will.” And with that, he made his way to find the angel. He knocked on the door but nobody opened it. He knew that the room wasn’t empty though because he could hear rustling. Dean frowned and took out the key, the desk guy had _‘lent’_ him. He put it in the lock and opened the door.


	6. Forgiveness?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cas and Dean talk about their feelings...

Dean couldn’t see anything at first. The room was soaked in darkness. He couldn't make out anything and drew his gun just in case, but when his eyes started adjusting he could see a figure huddled on the bed, looking down. 

”Cas?” he asked carefully but the man didn't lift his head. The hunter walked further into the room, gun still raised but there was still no movement. The light coming from the street was helping his eyes get used to the darkness and Dean slowly put his weapon away and walked in front of Cas. The angel still didn’t really move and Dean started to get a bit worried so he knelt down in front of him, catching those blue eyes with his. Cas looked beaten down, his face pale, at least that’s what it looked like in the dimly lit room.

Dean reached out and turned on the lamp on the bedside table and froze when his eyes caught something red on his stomach. 

”Cas, what happened? Didn't you take care of the stab wound?” Dean asked alarmed. Cas finally lifted his head a bit and said with a rough voice.

”I fixed it, don't worry.” 

Dean rolled his eyes at the snark. “Yeah, sure, then why is it bleeding?” Dean asked with a raised eyebrow. Cas looked annoyed down at him.

“I said I fixed it, didn’t say I did a good job…” Dean stood up and got the first aid kit and closed the door. He knelt in front of him again and pushed his chest back a bit so that he could look at the wound. _Damnit_ , even though he had sewn it back together, it was sluggish and not cleaned up well. He took the scissors and started cutting the thread.

“Dean? What...what are you doing?” Cas asked, hissing in pain. 

“Shut up. I’m redoing this because it’s badly done and I don’t want you to die on me.” Dean said, focused on pouring some disinfection liquid onto the wound, feeling Cas tense up from the burning. Dean was impressed at how calm he stayed, compared to Sam when Dean had to stitch him back up.

“Shhh...I know but it will be better once it’s done,” Dean soothed, as he slowly started the restitching. Cas bit his lip in order to stay quiet as Dean finished and put a bandage around the injury. 

“Dean?”

“Yes, Cas?” 

“Why are you helping me?” He asked quietly, not looking at Dean. Dean smiled as he packed away the things.

“All done, and because I don’t want you to…” He never got to finish that sentence because a pair of black and blue wings behind Cas caught his attention. “Wow…” He breathed out in awe. Cas blushed, not looking at Dean. 

“Yeah...they aren’t pretty. They’re destroyed and messed up...and I’m sorry I lied to you...it’s just I was a bit...afraid? I mean you _do_ hunt monsters…” Dean had to admit that Cas looked kind of cute.. _.No! Not now brain!_ Dean thought to himself as he cleared his throat. 

“I get that...but...uhm…” Dean rubbed his neck uncomfortably, “I don’t think they are ugly. A bit out of shape? Yes, but never ugly…” the hunter said shyly. Cas looked at him with a small smile.

“Thanks...though...I want to help you, I really do and I know that lying wasn’t the best idea but I didn’t know what else to do,” Cas said sincerely. Dean huffed.

“Not saying I’m not pissed at you for lying, just saying that it’s okay and that if you really want to make things right, we can work it out. I mean I was kind of an ass to you as well...so maybe you could start by answering some questions…?” Dean suggested with an equally shy smile.

“What do you wanna know?” Cas asked looking at Dean who sat down next to him on the bed. 

“Well first...why come to earth? I mean aren’t you supposed to be guarding heaven or something?” Dean asked.

“Yes, but I got cast out from heaven...I had other views than Michael and so he cast me down to earth.” Cas explained as a sad expression crossed his features. 

“Oh, I’m sorry...I didn’t mean to upset you - wait, does that mean God isn’t there?” Cas nodded, as he ran a hand through his hair. _Oh, damn it! That looked hot.._. 

“Yes, he left a few years ago and nobody has seen him since.” Cas looked at Dean who was pretty close to him right now and Dean couldn’t help but notice how blue Castiel’s eyes were. Like a sea, Dean could drown in.

They stared at each other until Cas’ eyes flickered to Dean’s lips. It was just for a second before they were back up but Dean did notice and licked his lips subconsciously. The days Cas had been gone Dean had started to actually think about his feelings and what his constant observations about Cas could mean. He had come to the conclusion that he wanted to be with Cas, no matter what. Of course only if the angel wanted that too. 

Very carefully Dean leaned forward, not realizing what he was doing until soft, warm lips touched his. It was different from kissing a girl but not in a bad way and Dean found himself tangling his hands in the dark locks, deepening the kiss. He loved the feel of the piercing against his lips. It was a nice contrast to those gentle lips.

  


Cas, even though not really familiar with kisses from what Dean got, was a quick and eager learner as his hands wrapped around Dean’s shoulders. They kissed for a bit until Dean darted his tongue out and Cas placed a hand on his chest, softly pushing him away. 

“Wait…” he panted, face still only inches away from the hunters. 

“Sorry-” Dean began to apologize, bushing heavily but Cas cut him off.

“Don’t, there’s nothing to apologize for. It’s just… I don’t want to rush it. I mean only an hour ago you were pissed at me and I don’t want this to just be the heat of the moment.” Cas said shyly and _damn it, the way he ducked his head, looking at him through hooded eyes...it was frikken cute_. Dean reached out and placed a hand on the side of his face, making him look at him. 

“Hey, relax… we can take it slow and I _promise_ it’s not just a fling. This is all new to me too. I have never been with, you know, a man before and it still kinda scares me… I know it has to do a lot with my dad and how I was raised.” Dean was now the one feeling almost ashamed about it. Cas, always able to read him perfectly, smiled softly at him.

“Dean, there is nothing to be scared about, we will figure it out, together.”

“Okay,” Dean whispered, “I’m still pissed at you though,” he said with a smirk. Cas just rolled his eyes. 

“I know.” Cas had the same smirk on his lips. 

After that Dean helped Cas to take care of some smaller wounds. Cas even let Dean take care of his wings and help him bandage them. Though that had been more reluctant mostly cause Cas didn’t think they were pretty anymore. Dean had shut him up with peppering small kisses all over his face until he was smiling annoyed at Dean. Some time had passed and soon there was a knock on the door.

“Dean?” Sam called out. Dean had almost forgotten about his moose of a brother.

“Come in, Sammy.” He said and only two seconds later Sam was standing in the small motel room. 

“What happened?” He asked looking from Dean to Cas. Dean knew the exact moment his eyes caught the huge wings. 

“Whoa…” he whispered quietly as he took a small step forward. Cas was currently sitting on the bed, the wings drawn in as much as possible.

“Yeah… even if Alastair hadn’t divulged my secret, I think it’s pretty obvious that I’m not human. In fact, I’m an angel of the Lord. Well, an angel that rebelled...” Cas said shyly a slight blush in his cheeks. _Damn, he looked adorable_. 

Sam still looked in awe of the huge wings and Dean couldn’t help the smirk on his lips. 

“Why didn’t you say anything to us?” Sam asked but there was no accusation in his voice. 

“Well...I mean you do hunt monsters and I didn’t want to be your next target.” Cas confessed.

“Oh...yeah I get that though,” Sam said and Dean could tell that he felt a bit bad about that. Dean decided to change the topic. 

“What now? I mean how long until you’re back to full blast?” 

“Uh...I think it will take longer than if I had all my grace. Michael took some and stored it in a bottle. Not all but part of it and-” 

“Wait, what?” Dean interrupted with confusion. “You can store that stuff?” 

“Yes...so maybe a day or two. My wings should be able to go back to their tattoo form in a day, hopefully, even if they’re still a bit busted.” 

“Okay, we’ll rent a room next to yours and stay here until you’re ready to go again.” And that’s what they did; the brothers checked into the room next door, making sure the owner wouldn’t report them to the authorities.  
***

Sam decided to go and take a shower before he would conk out for the night. Dean stayed in Cas’ room, helping him clean up a bit since he couldn’t use the shower with the injuries or his busted wings. 

“Dean?” Cas asked once he was clean and dressed in a pair of sweats. Dean looked up, trying to not stare at the bare chest as Cas walked up to him before sitting down on the bed next to him.

“Yes?”

“Do you actually want to be in a relationship with me?” The question caught Dean off guard, especially since the angel was always so direct and blunt, seeing him unsure was new for Dean. He still smiled softly and cupped Cas’ cheek. 

“Of course I want to be in a relationship with you. Why would you even ask?” Cas blushed and Dean was sure if it wasn’t the barrel of a gun, this adorable expression would be his death. It was too much to handle. 

“I mean since I’ve known you, you never talked about something long-lasting. Always just for the night, nothing more so I have been wondering…” Cas tried to avert his eyes but Dean caught his gaze. The uncertainty in those blue eyes almost broke Dean’s heart. He understood Cas’ question and the concern but Dean wanted to try.

“Cas…” Dean began gently, “I have never talked about it ‘cause with our job it isn’t easy to have a partner. Let alone someone who is a hunter and understands this kind of lifestyle. But with you… it’s… it’s different. You know about this, about the job, and I have never felt about someone the way I feel about you.” He reached out and took the angels’ hand into his. 

Cas looked up and a small smile played at the corners of his lips. Cas leaned forward and kissed Dean softly.

“I feel a certain way about you too,” Cas admitted shyly. The normally so serious angel showing this other side of him, this vulnerable side… it made Dean’s heart swell with warmth. 

A sudden thought crossed his mind and he didn’t like it. He looked at Cas, his good mood dropping a bit. Cas picked up on the change of mood and cocked his head to the side. 

“Dean, are you alright?” Dean cleared his throat and averted his eyes. 

“What, what will happen if this case is over? I mean, are you gonna leave?” Cas smiled softly at Dean. 

“Dean… I don’t want to leave but before I met you I just lived in motels,” Cas said ashamed, “but if I remember correctly, you told me once that Sam and you live in a bunker and maybe… I don’t know… I could move in?” Cas was completely red by now, his pink cheeks a nice contrast to his dark roots. Dean reached out and crooked a finger under Cas’ chin, lifting it up until he was looking at Dean again. 

“I would like that very much,” Dean whispered before he kissed those tempting lips again. The kiss was more passionate than the other ones they had shared until then. Dean moaned into the kiss and brought his hand up, combing through the soft black and blue hair. Cas opened his mouth letting Dean’s tongue slip inside. Even though Dean really wanted to continue kissing Cas, pulled back with a grin. 

“Even though I’d love to continue, I think we should rest. You’re still not completely healed and I spent the whole day driving around and speaking with motel managers.” Dean stood up, ready to make his way to his room when Cas’ slender fingers wrapped around his wrist. Dean looked back at the angel with a confused expression. 

“Do you maybe… want to spend the night here…?” Cas asked, blushing furiously. Dean smiled down at him before pulling him up and kissing him again. 

“That sounds like a really good idea. Let me get my stuff and then I’ll be back.” 

Ten minutes, and a very smug grin from Sam after he told him that he would sleep in Castiel’s room, later, the two were lying in bed, Cas on his side so that he wouldn’t hurt his wings, an arm wrapped around Dean’s waist. 

“Good night, Dean,” Cas whispered into the dark. 

“Night, Cas,” Dean whispered back, kissing the top of the angel’s hair before he closed his eyes and slowly fell asleep.


	7. Preperation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some glimpses into the guys' research and lives...

After a week, the boys were back at the bunker. Cas had wanted to put his things into his own room but Dean had insisted to share a room. Not that Cas had minded. They had slept in each other’s arms every night since they had talked and Dean couldn’t deny that he was happy. That he was content. When he saw Cas, warmth spread inside of him but he didn’t want to consider what this could mean. He wasn’t ready to name the feeling that was getting stronger with every passing day. 

The three boys were currently in the library, researching white-eyed demons and how to kill them. They had been doing that for hours and Dean couldn’t concentrate anymore. He knew this was important but the words in front of his eyes were blurring and he shut the book. 

“I need a break,” he announced. 

Sam looked up from his book as well and closed it too. “Yes, me too. I’m gonna go grab some dinner. Guys? Burgers or pizza?” 

“Burgers,” the other two said together before blushing a bit. Sam looked between them with an amused smile before standing up. 

“Okay. I’ll be back in 30.” Sam said and then he was out the door. Dean smirked and stood up, walking behind Cas and wrapping his arms around the angel’s shoulder from behind.

“Hey, Cas…” Dean said with a smirk. Cas didn’t look up from his book. 

“Hello, Dean,” he said and even though Dean couldn’t see his face he could hear the smile in his voice. Dean leaned forward and kissed Cas’ neck. 

“Come on, Cas. I’m _booored_ . Let’s do something fun.” Dean whined against his boyfriend’s skin. _Boyfriend_. He liked the sound of that.

“And what do you propose we do?” Cas finally closed his book and turned his head, looking up at Dean with a smirk. Dean couldn’t resist and leaned down again, kissing those pretty, pink lips. 

“Oh, I think we can come up with something,” Dean said in a low voice, whispering into the other man’s ear. 

That’s how they found themselves lying on their bed, kissing each other hungrily and moaning into each others’ mouths, hands wandering over naked chests and running through messed up hair.

“Fucking hell, angel, so beautiful,” Dean breathed as he pulled away from those enticing lips. Dean looked at Cas and smirked; the angel underneath him was a panting mess, his hair sticking up in every direction, smiling lazily up at Dean. 

“I could say the same,” Cas grinned. Dean just shook his head before leaning down again and started nibbling at Castiel’s jaw and went down to his neck, licking and sucking lightly. Cas had apparently not anticipated this and his hips bucked up, making both of them hum in pleasure. 

“Fuck, Cas…” Dean breathed before he thrust down. Quickly they fell into a rhythm lazily moving against each other as they continued to kiss and nibble at each other’s skin. 

They were so caught up in their pleasure that they didn’t hear the knock on the door. The door swung open and Sam’s voice sounded in the room. 

“Hey guys, I brought the foo-” Sam broke off once he saw the scene in front of him and blushed furiously. “Sorry guys, I’ll be… uhm… in the library…” and with that, he was gone. Dean froze before he groaned against Cas’ neck. 

“I hate my brother. He has the worst timing.” Dean mumbled against the soft skin. 

“He definitely has. I think we should go eat though, otherwise, he might come back.” Cas advised but didn’t make a move to stand up. They laid there for a bit trying to relax and make the obvious bulge in their pants go away. After some time Dean kissed him again before scrambling off of the bed and reaching a hand out for Cas. 

“You’re right. I _am_ kinda hungry.” As if in response, his stomach growled. Dean just chuckled before walking to the kitchen, hands intertwined. 

***

“For fuck’s sake!” Dean exclaimed as he closed the book with too much force and pushed his chair back. “There is nothing in here about how to kill that son of a bitch. I mean we already know that we need an angel blade but that’s not enough,” Dean was frustrated and fed up; they had been looking at the lore and any other records the men of letters might have but they couldn’t find anything on how to kill that demon.

“Relax, it’s okay.” Cas tried to reassure him. Dean just glared at him with anger in his eyes. 

“No, it’s not fucking okay. This library has nothing about them and they are supposed to have books about how to kill _every monster out there_.” Dean snapped.

“Dean, kitchen, now,” Cas said firmly, standing up. Dean wanted to protest but when he saw the adamant look in Cas’ eyes he just huffed and followed Cas.

Once in the kitchen Dean burst into even more anger.

“What the hell? What do you want? I’m fucking fine, Cas. So what do you want?” Dean knew he was behaving childishly but he couldn’t care less right now. He was frustrated and angry and upset.

“Dean, look at me.” Cas reached out and took Dean’s face between his hands, making him look at him. Dean tried to avoid his gaze but Cas was firm. “Look at me. Look at me,” Cas said again and again until Dean finally did. The moment his eyes met those ocean-blue ones, he slowly relaxed, the flame of anger inside him dwindling further and further till it finally extinguished under that calming gaze. 

“What is going on?” Cas asked softly. Dean sighed. 

“I’m sorry, Cas. It’s just that I’m pissed that he’s still out there.” 

“Why?” Cas’ eyes stayed on Dean, calming him further. 

“It’s nothing…” Dean tried but Cas raised a brow not believing Dean for a second and Dean caved, “Okay, fine. I just hate that he hurt you and got away with it. When we find him I’m gonna kill him.” The angel’s face went soft and he leaned in and kissed him. 

“Dean, it’s okay. If he hadn’t hurt me then maybe you would have never found out that I’m an angel. We might not even be together right now,” Cas tried to reassure him. Dean had to admit that he was right. 

As much as he hated Alastair, he had helped them get together and talk about everything. 

“Fine. I still want to gank him though.” 

Cas chuckled softly and then they were kissing again, Cas plunging his tongue into Dean’s mouth as he pushed him against the kitchen counter. Dean moaned into the kiss and closed his eyes, relishing the feeling of Cas dominating the kiss. He loved those chapped lips against his and he knew he could never get tired of Cas kissing him. 

Eventually, they had to pull away and go back into the library. Though Dean was in a way better mood than before. 

***

“So get this…” Sam said one night after they had been researching for hours again. “Apparently there _is_ a way to kill him.” Both Cas and Dean looked up at him with wide eyes. 

“What?” Dean asked, baffled but excited. Sammy had found something. He just hoped it was easy to get. 

“Yeah. We already knew that you needed an angel blade but it also said here that only _the blood of the true followers can destroy the life of the sinners._ ” Dean frowned in confusion. 

“What the hell is _that_ supposed to mean?” He asked in frustration. 

“I don’t know… but it looks like we need someone’s blood.” Dean looked over to Cas and saw that he was furrowing his brows, staring into the distance. 

“Cas, babe, you okay?” Dean asked in concern, ignoring the look he got from Sam at the moniker. 

“Huh? Yeah… it’s just… I think I’ve heard about this before. I think what they are referring to here is the blood of an angel.” Dean’s mood brightened a bit. 

“That’s good, right? I mean we can easily get that.” 

“Dean, I don’t know. I mean I was cast out of heaven. Sure, I still have my wings but my grace is almost completely gone. I don’t think I’m the kind of angel they are talking about.” Cas said ashamed. “I’m not worthy enough.”  
Dean hated seeing Cas so beaten down and filled with self-loathing. 

“Hey,” Dean stood up and walked over to Cas, kneeling in front of him and cupping the angel’s face with his hand, “don’t say that. I’m sure that your blood will work just as fine. I think it has to mostly have a bit of grace, and you still have some. Though maybe we should get the blood in the next days so that when we face him, you’ll be at full strength again.” Dean smiled up at him. Cas looked at him for a few seconds before the corner of his lip twitched upwards.

“You’re probably right,” he grumbled.

“Of course I’m right, and now let’s see if it says anything about how we have to use the blood once we got it.” Dean leaned up and captured his angel’s lips in a reassuring kiss. 

When they looked back at Sam, he was looking at them with a fond smile. 

“What?” Dean asked with a raised eyebrow. 

“Nothing,” Sam said before he averted his eyes back to the book in front of him. Dean just smirked at a rather blushing Cas. 

***

The boys spent the next few days preparing the angel blades and looking for any unnatural sightings. They coated the one they found in the museum as well as Cas’s own angel blade he had with him. 

After they had taken Cas’ blood, even though it wasn’t that much, Dean insisted that Cas didn’t do too much, which the angel wasn't a fan of. 

”Dean, I'm fine, ” he insisted but Dean didn't want to hear it.

”I don't care. I don't want you to stress yourself today. You need to be at full power when we face that son of a bitch.” Dean told him, voice firm. Cas just sighed and fell back into bed.

”We haven't even found any sign of where he might be. Don't you think this is a bit too much? I'm an aeons year old being. I don't think a bit of blood loss will harm me,” Cas tried to reason. Dean knew he was being overprotective but he didn't care. It was only for the best.

“Maybe you are, but you're also more human than ever before, with your grace fading away. The closer to human you are... this stuff'll hit you harder. Trust me. I've been human my whole life," Dean joked, trying to lighten the mood, even though he still felt bad about being such an ass. But he couldn't help it. Not when he cared about this angel. “And you also had to give enough blood so that we could coat two blades in it. So you’ve lost plenty of life juice.” 

Cas looked at him with an upset expression.

“Dean I told you, I’m fine but if you’re so persistent, can I at least help research from here?” Cas asked hopefully. Dean thought about that for a moment before smiling.

“Okay. I’ll be right back.” And so the two of them found themselves snuggled on Cas’s bed while doing research. When Sam entered the room to see what they were doing, he found them both asleep, his brother's arms wound around the angel protectively. 

***

About a month after they first encountered Alastair there was finally another sighting of paranormal activity close to downtown Dallas. 

”Guys? I think I found something,” Cas called a few hours into their research. Both brothers looked up at the angel with curiosity. 

”So it looks like there have been some unnatural activities in downtown Dallas. I think we should go and check it out. Maybe it's Alastair. And if not, then there might still be some monster we could kill.” 

”Yeah, I think that's a good idea. I mean what can go wrong, right?” Dean asked, knowing full well what could go wrong on a hunt, especially with such a powerful being, but he tried to push those thoughts aside for now. He was still a bit worried about Cas and if he should come along but he knew that his boyfriend could be as stubborn as he was and there was no way that Cas would sit this one out. 

They decided to leave in the morning and try and make the trip as fast as possible. 

”Dean, are you okay?” Cas asked him that night in bed. Sometimes he hated how good his angel could read him. He sighed and looked down at the dark mop of hair on Cas head that was currently lying on top of Dean's chest.

”Yeah... it's just I'm worried about this hunt,” he confessed, thankful that Cas couldn't see him right now. Cas was quiet for a bit before he said.

”I understand that but what if he is there? Maybe this is the only chance we've got to kill him.” 

” I know but that's not why I'm worried. Not completely. I'm more worried about you and Sammy. I mean what he did to you last time…” Dean had to gather his thoughts before he continued, ”I don't want that to happen again. Especially since now, we are together and I couldn't forgive myself if something happened to you..” 

_Since when was he such an emotional mess?_ Dean thought but for some reason, he didn't mind. Cas was important to him and he needed to get these things out before it was too late.

Cas shifted and bit and leaned onto his elbows so that he could see Dean better. The hunter tried to avoid his gaze but quickly realized it wasn't possible. Once he looked into those deep blue eyes, Dean couldn't look away.

”Dean, I know you don't like this and neither do I. But it has to be done. If he hadn't been so focused on me last time, he would have hurt you. And even though we weren't together back then, I know that if something had happened I wouldn't have been able to live with that.  
  
“I'm afraid that this time he could kill you. Yes, we do have the blades, but this doesn't mean it will stop him. What if they don't work for some reason? What then? I don't want you to get too close to him because even though I'm mostly human, I still have my wings and some grace left. I still have enough of an advantage that I could somehow fight him but you and Sam? He would kill you the moment he got a chance. I couldn't handle you not being here anymore...I...I need you, Dean.” 

Dean was speechless. He had never experienced the angel quite so honest, so vulnerable about something.

” I need you too. So fucking much.” He leaned forward and captured his angel's lips in a passionate, though soft kiss. He hoped the kiss could convey all the things he wanted to say to the angel.

That night, Dean held Cas as close as possible, not wanting to ever let go of one of the most important people in his life.


	8. Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam, Dean and Cas finally face Alastair, though thinks don't go completely as planned...

The next day they drove the eight-hour drive to Dallas. It was great because this time he and Cas weren’t _enemies_ ; they were together. After half the trip Sam had even offered to sit in the back if Cas wanted to sit next to Dean. Dean had looked into the rearview mirror and seen the slightly brighter eyes. He could tell that this meant a lot to Cas and when he sat down in the front, Dean smiled fondly at him. 

They checked into the motel around 5 pm, Sam insisting that the couple should share a room and ’ _Yes, I'm okay with it Dean_ ’. 

Once inside their room, Cas came up to Dean and kissed him softly.

”I’ve wanted to do that the whole day.” Cas smiled, pressing closer to Dean. He smiled wider before kissing him again, pushing Dean against the door as the kisses got more passionate. Dean moaned against Cas’ lips before licking his way into the angel's mouth. Cas brought his hands up and let them run through Dean’s hair which made him moan again. 

He loved when Cas played with his hair. It felt like he was important. Like he was needed. 

”Guys, we leave in five. We've got talk to local law enforcement before we can go and look at the buildings tomorrow,” came Sam's voice through the door. Dean groaned in frustration and let his head fall on Cas’ shoulder. 

”I hate my brother right now,” he grumbled. Cas just hummed in agreement. 

***

They decided to check out the places they had found near the sighting tomorrow. Luckily there weren’t that many abandoned buildings, only about six, and they were all somewhat close to each other. 

The boys briefly thought about splitting up so that they could work faster but soon dismissed that idea due to the previous experience they had with Alastair. 

There was no way one of them could go up against Alastair alone. Teamwork would be key here.

So the next morning they ate a quick breakfast and then got on the road. The first three buildings turned out to be empty. _Of course, they would_ , Dean thought sarcastically. _The Winchesters never get lucky when it comes to hunt_ s. 

”Let’s say we find him. What then? If he pins us like last time we won't have a chance. Only if someone distracts him with talking or something, then the others may have a chance.” Sam mused out loud but Dean knew that his idea wouldn't work.

”Too big a risk. And it probably won't work because I doubt that he will make the same mistake twice. Although, there is always the chance that if someone went in alone, then the others bursting in or something,” Dean suggested but one look at Cas told him that this was also a very stupid idea.

”Definitely not. I'm not letting any of you go in there alone. Even I would be too weak to face him alone.” 

”So what? We all of us just waltz in there and hope for the best?” 

”Looks like it. But we do have to figure out if he’ll be alone or not. There could be other demons who are lower on the food chain. We’ll have to pick them off one by one so that they won't notice…” 

***

Dean had just parked Baby in front of the fifth barn they had decided to pay a closer look to. He squinted at the building which was surrounded by fog and after a bit could make out two people standing near the door. 

“Guys, I think we found it,” he told them, pointing to the demons. Both Sam and Cas looked out to where Dean was indicating. 

“Okay, so, Cas, you think you can make out how many demons there are?” he asked looking back at the angel. 

“I can’t make them out clearly but there are at least six on the outside, and maybe another four inside, plus Alastair,” Cas said, his expression looking concentrated. 

“Well, then let’s do this,” Dean breathed before opening the door as quietly as he could. The three men gathered their weapons from the Impala’s trunk, each one having an angel blade covered in Cas’ blood with them. Even though the blades were very hard to get, they did some research and it turned out that there was one more in another museum on the way to Dallas. So now Sam had that one, Dean the first they had found, and Cas his own. They had to break into it at night and would have been caught if Cas hadn’t knocked out the guard last minute. 

They snuck around the house and started with killing the two demons patrolling at the back, holding their mouths shut so that they wouldn’t be heard as they died. Next up were the ones on each side of the barn. Sam snuck up on the one on the right, and Cas and Dean on the one on the left. 

They waited until they were sure the others had taken care of their own demon before they hurried to the ones at the front. 

“That was too easy,” Cas commented as he pulled his blade out of the lifeless body on the ground. 

“Yeah, it was. I don’t like this at all. Let’s just hope that they were just having a bad day and that this isn’t a trap,” Dean said grimly while carefully pushing open the door. Sam already sneaked in but Cas grabbed Dean’s arm and held him back. Dean looked at him questioningly but before he could ask Cas leaned up and kissed him softly. 

“Be careful,” Cas whispered before following Sam inside. Dean just looked after him for a few seconds. This was so sweet from Cas and he couldn’t help but smile to himself before his expression changed again as he went inside and quietly closed the door behind him. 

The barn was dark and dusty, the only light coming from some of the busted windows. They looked at each other before slowly moving forward. Dean was about to look around a corner when Cas reached out and pulled him back against the wall they were crouching against. 

He looked at him confused before he heard footsteps and a demon passed them, luckily not noticing them. Dean was very thankful that his boyfriend had heightened senses because otherwise, this could have blown their whole plan. 

Getting rid of the other four low-rank demons wasn’t hard either and the closer they got to Alastair, the more that uneasy feeling in Dean’s gut spread. 

After a short nod from Cas, Sam pushed the last closed door open, all of them ready to fight the white-eyed demon but to their surprise, the room was empty. 

“What the hell?” Dean exclaimed once he made sure that the room was actually empty. 

“It doesn’t make any sense. Why would there be so many demons if he isn’t here? I swear I could sense that he was in this barn,” Cas wondered in frustration. 

There were wings clapping and then another person was standing in the room. They turned around, ready to attack before he held up his hands in surrender. 

“Hello, Castiel,” the man said with a sly smile. Cas lowered his weapon but continued to glare at him. 

“What are you doing here, Balthazar?” He asked, his voice angry though, Dean could make out the slightest bit of confusion in it as well. Balthazar just smirked smugly as he took a step closer. Dean’s instincts kicked in and he stepped in front of Castiel protectively. The other man noticed and looked at him. 

“Did you get yourself a boyfriend, Cassie? I’m impressed, he’s handsome.” Balthazar said as he looked Dean up and down. Cas just glared harder. 

“What do you want?” He asked, a dangerous edge to his voice. Balthazar frowned at him. 

“Why so angry? It was my turn to see what you were up to.”

“ _Your_ turn? What is that supposed to mean?” Cas cocked his head to the side and, if they weren’t in such a dangerous situation, Dean would have found it adorable. Balthazar looked rather bored as he explained. 

“Well, since Michael cast you down to earth, he doesn’t really care what happens to you, as long as you don’t somehow endanger heaven. You’ve always been known to be the black sheep of the family, brother and, oh don’t look at me like that,” Balth said as he frowned at Cas who was looking rather angrily at him, “Anyway, Mike said that there should always be someone to make sure that you don’t do anything stupid.” He concluded with a grin. 

Dean observed the whole conversation with a rather confused expression. He didn’t quite get why they should be looking at what Cas was doing in the first place. 

“Guys, I don’t want to ruin the family reunion, but we kind of have a situation here,” he interrupted, both angels only briefly looking at him. 

“So, you’ve been watching me this whole time and you couldn’t pop in and say hi?” Cas asked, baffled, ignoring Dean as his whole attention was focused on Balthazar. 

“Yeah well, didn’t want to break it to you that your warding wasn’t working.” 

“Are you kidding me? You’d rather keep quiet instead of telling me that my warding was off? Really?” Cas looked rather pissed, taking a step forward. Dean looked over at Sam who was as confused as he was. 

A sound somewhere in the house made Dean turn towards the door. 

“Guys!” Dean said louder this time, which luckily got the attention of both celestial beings. 

_“What?_ ” Cas snapped, obviously still not happy with the news he got. Balthazar seemed to finally pick up on where they were and turned towards Sam. 

“What are you doing here anyway?” He asked curiously. 

Sam sighed before explaining. “Trying to kill Alastair but he isn’t here.” 

“You what? And how do you three idiots propose to kill him?” He asked, eyeing them all up and down. “You’re two hunters and an angel with barely enough grace.” Dean rolled his eyes, as he looked anxiously towards the door. He pulled out his blood-covered angel blade showing it to the angel.

“You really think that you’ll be able to kill him with that? The moment he has you pinned against a wall you’re done.” 

“Then help us!” Cas urged as understanding dawned on his face. Dean picked up on his expression and he started to panic a bit himself. Balthazar wasn’t wrong. He wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. Alastair could kill them in an instant. Not that he would, the demon probably delighted in torturing his victims first.

Balthazar snorted. “And why should I do that?”

“Because,” Cas said gritting his teeth, ”you don’t like Michael either. You never did, and before he cast me to earth I remember that you complained about him and that you only get to do boring tasks. Not only that but if heaven doesn’t care about me, then nobody would mind you helping me.” Cas tried to persuade him. Balthazar eyed him suspiciously for a bit before he sighed. 

“Oh, fine. But we’re still not enough man-power to fight him off. Of course, we could always…” He trailed off. Another sound came from inside the house, this time closer. 

“I’ll be right back,” he said cheerfully and, with that, he was gone. 

“Son of a bitch,” Dean exclaimed, frustrated. They barely had time to react before all three of them were thrown against the nearest wall and pressed against it by an invisible force, Alastair walking smugly into the room. 

“Hello, boys. Good to see you again,” he said with a smug grin as he walked up to them. “Wouldn’t have thought I’d see you here, Castiel, but it’s a pleasant surprise.” 

Dean shot daggers at him with his eyes. _That smug bastard… he should get the hell away from Cas._ Dean was amazed at how jealous his own thoughts sounded, even to himself. But he couldn’t help it, he cared about the angel. 

Alastair was standing now in front of Cas, one bony finger running slowly over Castiel’s cheek. His angel was trying to turn his head away but the force holding him in place was too strong. Dean glanced down at Castiel’s arm and saw that he was trying to get his angel blade into his hand, without any luck. 

“Get the fuck away from him,” Dean exclaimed, his anger getting the better of him. The demon snapped his head around before a devilish grin spread on his lips. 

“Oh, Dean, Dean, Dean. Don’t tell me that you care about him,” he mocked slowly making his way over, “How sweet of you. Love is always the best way to make the other suffer the most.” Dean struggled harder against the force, trying desperately to do something. To at least get one hand free but to no avail. The demon was just too strong. 

“You know,” he started in a conversational tone, still focused on Dean, “I was thinking about killing you first, but now I have a way better idea. I’m gonna torture and kill the others first; Sam is your brother, so his suffering is going to be hard for you, and Castiel over here, is your lover. It is going to destroy you.” His grin widened more as he imagined his plan in his head. 

“Don’t you _dare_ touch them,” Dean said, voice dangerously low. He was glaring at the man in front of him, his anger and frustration reaching their peak. Alastair laughed. 

“And what are you going to do about it? You’re just a tiny human. I could crush your skull if I wanted to and neither one of you would be able to stop me. I can snap my fingers and-”

Suddenly there was a loud thump as Sam was thrown against the wall on the opposite side. 

“Oh, don’t even _think_ about it,” Alastair said, almost sounding bored. Dean looked at the unconscious form of his brother, slumped against the wall. Apparently, while the demon was focused on Dean, Sam had been able to free himself and tried to sneak up on him. 

“Seems like I’m gonna have to start with loverboy then,” He grinned and made his way over to Cas. Both squirmed, Dean in order to get free, and Cas trying to get as far away from the demon as he could. Alastair pulled a silver knife out of thin air and placed it on Cas’ cheekbone, slowly cutting in. The angel hissed in pain but didn’t dare move, in fear of making it worse. 

“Get the fuck away from him you sick bastard!” Dean exclaimed, his eyes fixed on the blood that was running down the tanned skin. Dean did notice that Cas had been fairly quiet the whole time, never saying anything which confused him a bit. Cas was normally the first to tell someone to fuck off. 

“Cas? You okay?” He asked not caring about the amused smile on the demon's face. Cas turned his blue eyes on him, and Dean could clearly make out the mischievous glint in them. He looked rather relaxed, not fearing anything. Cas smirked at him before they heard another loud noise, and then the sound of wings clapping once more. 

Two figures suddenly appeared in the room, both looking angry. One of them was Balthazar and the other was…

“Gabriel?” Cas asked, baffled.

The shorter man turned to them with a grin. 

“Hey, baby bro. How’s it going?” He asked, completely oblivious to the demon standing in the room. It took a few seconds for Dean’s mind to kick in before he actually recognized the man. _The Trickster? What the hell?_ But before he could actually say anything Alastair came back from his momentary shock. 

“More of you? You really think you can defeat _me_?” He asked mockingly, reaching his hand out to pin them to the wall as well. Balthazar was blasted back but Gabe stood there unfazed. 

He actually looked bored. 

“Really?” Gabriel drawled. “You think that is gonna work on me?” 

Alastair growled deep in his throat before he tried it again. When nothing happened, a sword appeared in his right hand. Gabe just smirked as an angel blade slipped out of his sleeve and fell into his hand. It looked like the same that was currently in Dean’s sleeve, the only difference was that Gabe’s wasn’t covered in Castiel’s blood. 

The demon attacked but Gabriel easily and gracefully dodged the blow, trying and succeeding in delivering one in return injuring his arm. Al barely winced before swinging his weapon and cutting a line on Gabriel’s stomach, blue light coming out of the cut. 

“What the hell?” He mumbled as he grabbed his stomach, trying to stop the blood. 

Alastair grinned evilly. “Handy, isn’t it? Made out of angel blades.” 

Soon, Balthazar joined in, and now the three were fighting. 

The fight continued but that wasn’t what got Dean’s attention. It was the slight tingle that went through his body as he could feel the invisible force getting weaker and then it hit him; they were trying to distract Alastair.

Dean looked over at Cas and saw that he was noticing the same thing. Both of them started to struggle against the invisible bonds and after a few minutes quietly fell to the floor. 

They looked at each other and Dean mouthed ‘ _you okay?_ ’ at his boyfriend who nodded grimly before focusing on the others. They both slowly stood up and tried to sneak up on the unsuspicious demon. 

A whimper from the other side of the room made Dean look in the direction where his brother was starting to regain consciousness. That caused Dean to lose his grip on the angle blade, letting it fall to the floor with a tinkling noise. 

Alastair’s head whipped around to them, Dean froze in place. He was unarmed, and the fear for his brother was present in his mind. 

There was a sizzling as the demon started burning orange from the inside out before he crumbled to the floor, Cas standing behind him with angry eyes.


	9. The End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the big bad finally gone, they clean everything up before they can go back to their normal lives...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it, guys, the end of our story. I want to thank the amazing artist [pherryt](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pherryt) for the amazing artworks and also the creators of PPB for making this chance possible.

Dean looked at the body in front of him with rather wide eyes. It worked. The angel blades _actually_ worked. A grin spread on his face as he slowly looked up into beautiful blue eyes. Cas was just as baffled as he was but Dean could tell that he was happy too, his eyes shining brightly. 

“Cas…” he whispered as his hand came up and rested on the angel’s neck as he drew him into a passionate kiss. They were safe. It was over. The moment was broken when someone cleared their throat and they pulled away guiltily. 

“Can someone please explain?” Gabriel asked with an amused smile. 

Balthazar was looking between them with a small grin. Dean’s mind started to work again and decided to ignore them, making his way over to where Sam was laying on the ground. Sam came first. Sam always did. 

“Sammy, you okay?” Dean asked, concerned as his brother grumbled in a bit of pain and tried to stand up. “Easy there, tiger. You were blasted against the wall and it looks like you hit your head a bit. We’ll patch you up,” Dean quipped. Dean helped Sam up and then they were facing Gabe and Balthazar again. 

“ _Trickster?_ ” Sam asked when he saw the shorter man, just as surprised as Dean had been. Gabriel just smiled and winked at him. 

“Hello, Sam. How’s it going?” 

“Good, how is….tricking people? I’m still a bit angry that you killed my brother… about 100 times.” Sam said but there was no anger in his voice. Only joy and something else Dean couldn’t make out. 

“Well, what can I say? I did save both of yours, and my brother’s life right now,” he said casually. 

“What is going on?” Cas asked suddenly, looking very confused with the conversation. “How do you know him?” 

Everybody turned to Cas who, after saying that, started blushing a bit. _Yes, definitely cute,_ Dean thought.


End file.
